Phantom Galaxy M74 Reaches Peak Evening Visibility in Eastern Pisces
Stargazers can spot the Phantom Galaxy, also cataloged as Messier 74, high in the eastern sky after dark this Halloween season, astronomy.com reported. Located approximately 24 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces, the face-on spiral reaches an altitude of 45 degrees by 9 P.M. local daylight time.
Measuring roughly 11 arcminutes in diameter, M74 possesses a wide span that distributes its light across a significant area. This structural characteristic lowers its overall surface brightness, making the celestial object more difficult to detect than its ninth magnitude implies and earning it the phantom moniker. Observers can locate the galaxy just over 1 degree northeast of the fourth-magnitude star Eta Piscium, or about 6.6 degrees southwest of Beta Arietis, also known as Sheratan.
Optics and Asymmetrical Spiral Arms Required for Detailed Viewing
Viewing the galaxy’s distinct features demands proper optical equipment. While binoculars or a finder scope reveal the bright nuclear core, spotting the fainter asymmetrical spiral arms typically requires an 8-inch telescope or larger, according to astronomy.com. The western arm extends noticeably longer than its stubby eastern counterpart, and both are mottled with bright regions of active star formation that become more distinct with the use of a nebula filter.
Planetary Alignments and Daylight Saving Time Shifts Open November
As October closes and November begins, evening skies feature several planetary conjunctions alongside the shifting of clocks. Daylight saving time ends at 2 A.M. local daylight time on November 1, returning clocks to 1 A.M. local standard time. Early on November 1, a waning gibbous moon illuminated at 58 percent sits in Cancer just west of the naked-eye Beehive Cluster, or M44. While lunar glare can obscure the widely spread cluster without optical assistance, binoculars reveal its broad stellar population. Further east, Jupiter and Mars shine brightly in western Leo, positioning Jupiter halfway between the Red Planet and the blue-white star Regulus.
Worth a look